Citation

Blount BC, Karwowski MP, Morel-Espinosa M, Rees J, Sosnoff C, Cowan E, Gardner M, Wang L, Valentin-Blasini L, Silva L, De Jesús VR, Kuklenyik Z, Watson C, Seyler T, Xia B, Chambers D, Briss P, King BA, Delaney L, Jones CM, Baldwin GT, Barr JR, Thomas J, Pirkle JL. MMWR Morb. Mortal. Wkly. Rep. 2019; 68(45): 1040-1041.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2019, (in public domain), Publisher U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)

DOI

10.15585/mmwr.mm6845e2

PMID

31725707

Abstract

CDC, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), state and local health departments, and multiple public health and clinical partners are investigating a national outbreak of e-cigarette, or vaping, product use-associated lung injury (EVALI). Based on data collected as of October 15, 2019, 86% of 867 EVALI patients reported using tetrahydrocannabinol (THC)-containing products in the 3 months preceding symptom onset (1). Analyses of THC-containing product samples by FDA and state public health laboratories have identified potentially harmful constituents in these products, such as vitamin E acetate, medium chain triglyceride oil (MCT oil), and other lipids (2,3) (personal communication, D.T. Heitkemper, FDA Forensic Chemistry Center, November 2019). Vitamin E acetate, in particular, might be used as an additive in the production of e-cigarette, or vaping, products; it also can be used as a thickening agent in THC products (4). Inhalation of vitamin E acetate might impair lung function (5-7).

Language: en